Chemistry with professional placement or study abroad

Chemistry is the science that investigates the composition, structure and properties of matter and the transformations that occur when substances interact. It sits at the heart of modern life, underpinning the development of medicines, materials, energy technologies and countless industrial processes. Studying chemistry at degree level means mastering both the theoretical understanding of how atoms and molecules behave and the practical laboratory skills needed to observe, measure and synthesise chemical phenomena.

At the University of Bath, which has an outstanding reputation for chemistry education and research, this four-year full-time programme includes a professional placement or study abroad, giving you the opportunity either to work in an industrial or research chemistry setting during your degree or to study at a partner institution overseas. This choice makes the programme unusually flexible in how it prepares you for life after graduation. The sandwich placement is also available, and work placement experience is built into the programme.

You will study organic, inorganic and physical chemistry, developing your theoretical understanding alongside substantial laboratory experience, and progress toward more specialist topics as you advance through the degree.

Chemistry graduates are in demand across a wide range of sectors. Pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, materials science, petrochemicals, food science, environmental analysis, nanotechnology and academic research all recruit chemistry graduates. The professional placement option is particularly valued by industry employers, many of whom view it as an extended interview for permanent positions.

Many graduates also proceed to postgraduate study, taking masters or doctoral programmes that allow them to specialise in a particular area of chemistry or move into related disciplines. The analytical and quantitative skills developed through chemistry are also transferable to finance, consulting and data-intensive roles.